Japan well placed to lead in artificial intelligence, expert says

Japan lags Silicon Valley in conventional internet services but could become a global leader in the deep-learning technology of artificial intelligence, a leading AI expert has said. Yutaka Matsuo, 41, Project Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, believes machine learning will revolutionize sectors such as image recognition. “In deep learning, Japan still has a great chance to compete,” Matsuo said in an interview. He singled out Sony Corp., Ricoh Co., Olympus Corp. and Canon Inc. as companies that show promise. “Changes happening now are in image processing technology, and Japan has been good at this,” he said. With Japan traditionally strong in robotics, Japanese companies should be able to take a lead in self-learning robots and machines in fields including farming, construction and nursing care, Matsuo said. A graduate…